1/18 Tomcat

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:50 pm

aferguson wrote:HPH also make 1/24 and 1/32 scale planes. That looks like 1/32 to me.

I was thinking 1/24 or 1/32 but could not tell which one it was. at first it looked like 1/18th you know the one in the other thread;;;

JohnLumley · Post by **JohnLumley** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:40 am

E-mail I sent to Japan:
__________________

Dear Aiko Oishi:

I am sad that my preorder has been cancelled.

I love the 1:18 Tom Cat with all my heart.

Can you tell who is building the 1:18 Tomcat?

From the photos it looks like a bbi (Blue Box Toys) aircraft.

Sincerely,

John Lumley
Boynton Beach
USA, Florida

E-mail response received:
______________________

Dear Mr. John Lumley

Thank you for your understanding.

We don't know the manufacturer name,
but this item will be imported by Kawai Toys.

http://www.kawaihobby.co.jp/

Thank you for your attention.

Best Regards,
Aiko Oishi

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:03 am

I could be wrong, but this may actually be a 21st Century Toys release. Check out the following page:
http://www.kawaihobby.co.jp/js/18.htm

Also the 1/18 scale F-104 is costs nearly three times as much as it did here at our Walmarts, so who knows, maybe the Tomcat is actually much more affordable than initially stated. All of the 1/18 scale offerings on their pages are from 21st Century Toys.

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:22 am

now i'm certain it's BBI....if they are saying they 'don't know' who makes it, that is a load of bull. How can they not know who they are buying 1000 expensive aircraft models from? And since they are not claiming it's there's that means somebody else is making it.

21c is dead in the water, at least for now......no way it's them. And i think it very unlikely it's AT. Therefore, since Jason (and others) have hinted a surprise BBI release and i know that BBI had done work on a Tomcat a couple of years ago, there is just nobody else it could be, in my books.

And since the F-104 is triple the price it was in the US WM stores that supports my theory that it will cost about $150 or a bit less over here.

I think in a few weeks you guys are going to be happy your preorders were cancelled.

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:30 am

If it's BBI, I hope some of the dealers that post on SSHQ (Motorpool, Smalljoes, Aviatornut, etc.) could get some info on the 1/18 F-14 and post it here.

If the 1/18 F-14 is BBI, I'll buy it, especially at $150 or so---that's roughly double the price of a Century Wings 1/72 F-14 which is only 10" long.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:31 am

21c is dead in the water, at least for now......no way it's them. And i think it very unlikely it's AT. Therefore, since Jason (and others) have hinted a surprise BBI release and i know that BBI had done work on a Tomcat a couple of years ago, there is just nobody else it could be, in my books.

I was thinking it was either 21st or BBI, 21st mainly due to the offerings at their site, and BBI because 21st hasn't had much new stuff, and it would surprise me immensely for them to skip over B-25, F-4, and MIG-21 with a huge modern day fighter.

I think in a few weeks you guys are going to be happy your preorders were cancelled.

I wonder if Mike/BBI will show up at toyfair. Also, remember when Jason from Admiral Toys tried getting 21st to coordinate releases with them as to not have overlap? I know that he said Admiral Toys and BBI talk, and so far there has been no overlap with their releases. So I think it could be BBI or Admiral. Admiral Toys had posted a hint a very long time ago with some numbers and a small image uploaded on this forum, and I know one of the hints for sure was the number 14, and I think the other was February, so you take the first letter from the latter and combine it with the number, and you get F-14. This was months ago and for all I know maybe it was an obscure reference to a modex number on a particular Skyraider or Dauntless.

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:14 am

well if it is BBI you can be guaranteed it will show up here in time. No way they'd do a project that big for just a smallish market like Japan and ignore the big US market.

I suspect this Japanese company somehow got a special advance exclusive for their market and the general release will follow in a month or two, over here.

Again, etailers are being silent, which suggests they know something but can't comment yet.

This thing is going to be a monster....probably nearly twice the weight of the F-18. I hope they made the u/c good and strong...

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:46 am

I also remember TKO mentioning something that he wanted to tell us but couldnt a few months back - It was during discussion about the 88 and KT we knew it wasnt either one - I was lead to believe it had something to do with new figures to go along the 88 - but maybe this has been why 21st is so quiet - If BBI - still awesome - now I really have to get the F-18 and F-16

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:29 pm

Aviatornut mentioned a 1/18 surprise from BBI earlier this year, if I remember correctly---but the photos of the 1/18 F-14 don't look as detailed as BBI planes are.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:16 pm

Those pictures may not even be that of a 1/18th bird.
So the detail may be in the line of Bbi's.

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:01 pm

Well we KNOW one thing. There is a 1/18th Scale Tomcat out there. So the odds of us having one in our dirty little hands goes from zilch to a million to one. I'll take those odds.

iflabs · Post by **iflabs** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:47 pm

*drops back in thread*

Wow!

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:48 pm

I hope the 1/18 F-14 is BBI---but I thought BBI had dropped 1/18 in favor of 1/32 such as the F-4J Phantom, , SBD Dauntless, F4F Wildcat and the upcoming F-104 Starfighter. So maybe the 1/18 F-14 is an Admiral...

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:57 pm

This is really something! Hope it comes to fruition. What a great piece that would be.

Grilledcheese · Post by **Grilledcheese** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:51 pm

I'm gonna giggle like a schoolgirl if this thing turns out to be from Admiral.
That would just be the ultimate coup for a company that wanted to play nice with its competition but got burned.
No hints, no warning, just BAM!
Right up the competition's tailpipe.

Hell, now I hope its true...

Jeffrey

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:05 pm

I just got an Email from HW in Japan, it says basically to keep checking their website because they should have the item up and available for sale this month. I had asked if the item would be available again for purchase after my preorder was cancelled.

http://www.hwjapan.com/index.aspx

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:16 pm

Jason's probably lurking - giggling like a person who just designed an f-14.
Ok you can come out now....

Sabrefan · Post by **Sabrefan** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:24 pm

Man I wish I know who is making this Tomcat. Really wish we could see good pictures of a production model.

vulgarvulture · Post by **vulgarvulture** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:03 pm

From BadCat:

. . . and I don't mean an F-4. We've been contacted by a number of collectors about a product advertised as a Kawai Toys 1:18 F-14 model airplane. The company is advertising this product as being available later this month but is apparently no longer taking orders and in correspondence doesn't know who actually manufactures the piece.

To my eye, this sounds more than a little suspicious. None of the big (now small) three are in a position or have the inclination to produce such an aircraft. Another, unknown player would have to be in the mix and I don't know of any other company capable of pulling-off such a big complex project.

Demand for 1:18 is about 1/10th of what it was three years ago. At an estimated $200 price tag, the self-imposed $50 ceiling the bulk of 1:18 collectors will pay would make demand for this product dismal at best. Yes, there's two dozen vocal Internet bloviators who will "buy five" but where the rubber meets the road, I don't believe there's enough die hards capable of making this project fly.

As much as I'd like to see an new 1:18 manufacturer enter the scene, this one doesn't add up. New manufacturers popping-up out of no where. New aircraft boasting a record 42" span and length. No preorders available. No contact to us from a would-be distributor. A retailer claiming a release this month but one who doesn't know who the mfr is. Demand dwindling to 10% in the $50 category, let alone the $200 range. A worldwide economy that is in a shambles. At best, there are several pieces of the puzzle missing. At worst, I smell a rat.

Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 07:43PM by Bad Cat Rob | Post a Comment

Bryce · Post by **Bryce** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:15 pm

bloviators?

Sabrefan · Post by **Sabrefan** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:18 pm

Ok, I admit it.......I am a bloviator!

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:26 pm

I doubt Kawai would just put up the plane on their site just for fun. I suspect this toy is from either Admiral or BBI, I hope we find out something very soon. I figured if it wasn't by Admiral, Jason would have said something by now, like the time a 1/18 F-5 Tiger was on ebay and most of us thought it was an Admiral Toys release but Jason came by and said it wasn't. Speaking of which, we never did figure out who made that one....

If it is a newcomer, then I will be shocked.

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:06 pm

Well I was told to keep checking with them this month. If it doesn't show up as they say then it was a hoax. If it does then we'll have to investigate deeper. But BBI has been known to totally surprise us at times.

sluff · Post by **sluff** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 1:08 am

1 in a million Hasbro?
1 in a billion Pegasus?

Black_Dragon_One · Post by **Black_Dragon_One** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 1:14 am

we will see.. i will not get my hope up...